Oklahoma babies, stop by the Oklahoma City Whole Foods Market to sample some Basil Babe, Pearfecto or Peachy Keen. Oh Baby Foods guarantees you’ll love’m all.

Stop by the store on Sat. Aug 4th from noon to 4pm and visit our in-store demo for samples. Be sure to bring your big brothers and sisters, too, for the Kid’s Club craft projects in the cafe. Your mom and dad will love the values going on this month! Oh Baby Food purees are on sale! So don’t miss out on the fun.

We’re all about local and we’re small. It takes me 7 minutes, door to door, to pedal my two wheels to work, and I love it. Every now and then, however, I find something cool that isn’t so close by and available here in Fayetteville, Arkansas. But that’s ok. I just check out Abe’s online store when I can’t find it here.

Today, I spotted a cool product while at the BHK Kafe for some fab coffee. On the counter was a snap-on cover that turns a mason jar into an instantly portable beverage container. It’s absolutely perfect for my hibiscus tea on these really hot July days, and no more hunting everywhere for the right lid to my plastic ‘to go’ cups. It’s a great time to toss those old plastic things.

Now, for the little ones, I have my eye on the EIO Kids Cup. The invitation to reuse all those food jars in my cupboard makes me really happy.

Sleeve set fit most 8 oz. glass canning jars. Check it out, Abes Market, online at http://www.abesmarket.com/kids-cup-cap-and-sleeve-set-2-pack.html

When I’m doing a demo and offering samples of Oh Baby Foods purees I am always thrilled to hear parents say, “Wow! That’s delicious!”

We hear that toddlers feel the same way about our unique and nutritious fruit and vegetable recipes. Here’s one story, in case you missed it. Check out this blog post (and others) from Still Seeking Martha.

http://stillseekingmartha.blogspot.com/2012/05/my-toddler-still-likes-baby-food.html

Father’s Day Giveaway: It’s Never Too Early to Plan for Your Oh Baby’s College Education

It’s nearly Father’s Day and Oh Baby Foods wants to help more babies get ready for college! We’d like to help you get ready for that day by offering a College Planning Strategy Session giveaway for Father’s Day 2012. 

We want to know:  Are you ready to hear the words, “Dad, I’m majoring in __________?”

Here at Oh Baby Foods we are all about working toward a better future. We are thinking about what’s best for babies, parents and for the future of local communities. So we are really excited to team up with The Wilson Coker Group to give away a College Planning Strategy Session that will help dads and moms develop a vision and map out the steps needed to bring that vision of their child’s future to life.

How to enter:  Just tell us in a comment below what you imagine your child’s first major in college will be. It’s that simple and you’ll be one step closer to putting your child through college.

Make your post to this blog before midnight Friday, June 15, 2012. On Saturday, June 16 we’ll announce the winner of this personalized planning session that can help you to: Identify your child’s college funding needs, develop strategies tailored to your family situation, create a personal college funding plan, outline actionable steps and develop a timeline. This one hour session with Jon Coker of the Wilson Coker Group of Morgan Keegan in Rogers, Arkansas, can be by phone or in person.

To enter the Oh Baby Foods College Planning Strategy Session giveaway you must post a comment below on this Oh Baby Foods Blog page telling us what you imagine your child’s first major in college will be. You can double your chances of winning by also ‘liking’ our Oh Baby Foods Face Book page. Already like our page? No problem, you’re automatically counted twice. Winner will be selected by random and announced on Saturday, June 16, 2012.

Oh Baby, it’s the fine print: This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You are providing your information to Oh Baby Foods, Inc. and not to Facebook. The information you provide will only be used for entry and eligibility for contest. No purchase necessary. Promotion ends June 15, 2012, 11:59 PM CDT. Must be a legal resident of the US and age 18 or older to participate. Planning session must be used before December 31, 2012. Taxes on prize, if applicable, are the responsibility of the winner. Void where prohibited. Oh Baby Foods, Inc. will not share your information with a 3rd party, and may use it for promotional purposes of Oh Baby Foods, Inc.

I’m not a scientist, but I’m a parent. So why do I feel I need a Ph.D. in Chemistry to get through a grocery store these days?

Parenting is a tough job. I don’t need to convince anyone of this fact. We moms are smart and well informed. But having so many choices can leave us feeling anxious rather than empowered. Who hasn’t stumbled through the multitude of food products in the grocery aisles, hoping to make the best choice for our children in no more than 10 minutes, only to get back to the car just in time to tackle the next thing on the list. We are reading labels, considering nutrients, quality, the environment  and child development, all while calculating value in a matter of seconds.

For me, simplicity rules! It’s my mantra when evaluating food choices for my family and myself. When I look at a new product I ask myself:  Can I read the ingredients list without having to think about my chemistry class? Can I count those ingredients on one hand? Are they something my great grandmother might have used in her kitchen?

With Mother’s Day behind us and Father’s Day around the corner, I hope all those mom and dad scientists out there will be able to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures of a nice meal with the family. I hope they will trust their own judgment and have confidence that by offering growing families colorful local foods that are simply prepared, they will have mastered the ‘science’ of nutrition and self care. Now that’s a legacy that I would like to pass along to the next generation.

Here are some links for other folks who offer simple rules for healthy natural eating:

Michael Pollan has a new illustrated edition of Food Rules. Looks like fun to me.

Other favorite food writers of mine appear regularly in the New York Times. Check out Tara Parker Pope at Well, Recipes for Health and Mark Bittman. Mark has a new book work reading, Food Matters.

Making dinner and cleaning up the mess!

A week at my mother’s place has given me a new appreciation for one household item. My trashcan! As a mom of young children, I find myself making as many trips the to trashcan as I do the bathroom; and most of the time, both hands are full of something that drips.

Almost every house I’ve called home has had a trashcan cabinet ~ usually under the sink. I’ve never really appreciated the hidden aspect of the trashcan cabinet in light of its inherent convenience. So, when we designed our current home, I made sure to allocate a whopping 1.5 square feet for the stinkin’ trashcan! It’s out-of-sight around the corner from the fridge, but it’s easily accessible for all the times I have to toss a wet paper towel, a diaper (wet only, dirties go straight to the outdoor can), half-eaten snacks, and packaging from the too-often-abused “convenience” snacks – not to mention the five-plus times a day I’m dumping the dust pan after sweeping up snack oopies & meal mishaps.

Much to my delight, my mom has the exposed trash can as well… However, to my frustration, the lid is manual. Manual!!!! The worst part is that it has a foot pedal, it’s just broken! Not to display my inner diva, but it is incredibly irritating. The five days I have spent here have helped me to recognize the $80 I spent on a fancy trashcan was a good splurge. You don’t have to go all out; you can get the same function in a less expensive model at your local big box store. I wanted mine to match my stainless steel appliances.

My recommendation: Trash the cabinet. Register for a convenient foot-pedal operated refuse recepticle! And allocate a space in your kitchen for it. Heck, put it in your bathroom if you have to, just don’t hide it under the sink!

Need More Tips?

• Toddler Snack: Sweet Boogie Chickie Nuggets
• How to Break the Binky Habit
• Top 5 Emergency Items Every New Mom Needs

Image Credit: MIKI Yoshihito on Flickr

Just because you don’t have kids in school doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be perusing the Back To School aisles. This is a great time to stock up on a few new-mom essentials.

Makeup – If you’re looking for ways to disguise those tired eyes.. now is your chance to experiment. Back To School season is a great time to find make up on sale or in bundles. You’ll find deals on mascara, under-eye concealer, eye-lash curlers, shadows and other eye-brightener-necessities.

Electronics – Since Junior arrived, you’ve charged your camera battery more than your smartphone. With all those photos, you’ll want to start backing them up. Online backups may be the smart way, but if you are old-fashioned like me, you may prefer a jump drive. Stock up now. They’re a bargain! (Also great gifts considering Grandparent’s Day is September 11! ~ load ‘em with photos and stick them in the mail ~ voila!)

Computers – If you quit work when your baby was born, you probably turned in your laptop with your name badge. A few states offer a tax-free weekend before school starts which would be an excellent time to replace this new-mom must have. How else are you going to keep up with your Skype buddies, your Facebook pals, your new mommy blog and all that photo-editing!?

Clothes – Speaking of the tax-free shopping holiday.. baby sizes, maternity sizes and “post-baby” sizes all qualify for the tax benefit.

Arts and Crafts – Maybe Baby isn’t old enough to color yet, but she will be by Christmas. Crayons, markers, glue sticks and paper are a steal right now. I stocked up on Composition Notebooks for 40 cents (normally $3 or more). I use them for journals, and my girls love having a “journal” just like Momma. Be sure to buy washable crayons and markers, and carefully supervise kiddos under age 3. Apparently, crayons taste good, but little chunks are a choking hazard.

Tissue and hand sanitizer – When Tiny gets a cold, everyone in the house gets a cold. Kindergarten teachers know this so they require each student to bring a box of tissue and a bottle of hand sanitizer to stock the classroom. Take advantage of this back to school deal, so when cough & cold season hits, you’ll be prepared.

Furniture – College dorm rooms and Baby’s Nursery have one thing in common: they require lots of storage. You can find storage ottomans (great toy boxes), modular shelving units and other small furniture for a steal this month!

School may be a few years off, but just because your little tike is tiny now, doesn’t mean he’ll stay that way for long. Try to think ahead a least a few months and watch for sales on things he’ll be into. Happy Shopping!!!

Image Credit: lrargerich on Flickr

I’m all for adventure, but I’m not much of an outdoorsy kind of mom. I don’t like to sweat; I don’t like the bright sun in my eyes; I don’t like the hassle of bundling up the Littles to keep them from being frostbit, and I don’t particularly like cleaning sticky, messy, dirty little hands. But I do understand the value of the experience. Play time is learning time and the more adventurous, the more the learning. That being said, you don’t have to go to Disney World to amuse your little one. EVERYTHING is new for him.

At an early age, babies start learning through their senses and the backyard is full of wonder and excitement. The sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes and the textures make everyday a learning day without putting miles on your minivan.

Awaken his eyes to Mother Nature. Show him how the trees sway, point out the colors of the sky, watch the clouds go by. At night, teach him to count the stars!

Open his ears to his environment: Listen to the cars driving by, the birds tweeting, the bugs chirping, the leaves rustling, dogs barking, cows mooing. (Try to avoid other babies crying ~ that’ll just start a chain reaction.)

Taste the outdoors even if you have to get a little wet. There’s nothing better than drinking rain and eating snow (unless you live in a smoggy city). And don’t worry if he gets a little dirt or sand in his mouth. Babies are known for tasting everything and a little won’t hurt.

Stop to smell the roses. Sniff the air after it rains; unroll the windows as you pass a patch of honeysuckle  or a dairy farm.

Be touchy feeling. Put his hand on the rough tree bark and then feel the smooth leaves. Let him run barefoot in the grass or sand, and then splash in the river (or pond or lake or ocean). Make a mud pie!

You don’t have to go outdoors to tickle their senses. Your house is full of textures like Daddy’s whiskers, bubble wrap from Grandma’s care package, Fido’s fur (with careful supervision to make sure no hairpulling/biting occurs) or a bar of soap during bathtime. Resist the urge to keep your house in order and let your Littles explore. They’ll have a blast, and you might even get a free moment to pee unasisted. Now that’s a win-win!

Like This? Try These:

• 7 Unconventional Benefits to Breastfeeding
• Baby-Proofing for Sanity’s Sake
• Non-Advice for Expecting Mothers

Image Credit: Daniel Pink on Flickr